Japanese Patent No. 2631946 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,557,527) discloses a design of a knitted fabric knitted by a flat knitting machine. The design of the knitted fabric is performed on a computer. The outer shape of the knitted fabric is inputted as an image, and the types of knitting stitches or the like are inputted using color codes or the like. Usual, but complicated processes such as narrowing stitches, widening stitches, or cast off stitches are formed by storing a subroutine, and retrieving the subroutine from a library. The design data as created can be converted automatically into knitting data used in the flat knitting machine.
In some knitting fabrics such as a flared skirt (FIG. 14) or a sweater in a parachute pattern, the knitting width changes gradually. The design of such knitting fabrics is performed in units of gores (FIG. 15). The gore is an imaginary elongated knitted fabric continuous in the wale direction. The design is performed such that a plurality of the gores are connected in the course direction. The narrowing stitches (reduction in the number of stitches in the course by overlapping stitches) and the widening stitches are formed at borders between the gores. In a design image in FIG. 15, blocks in which the width decreases gradually from the lower side to the upper side by narrowing stitches are present. Further, on both sides of respective blocks, thin stripe-like blocks are present.
In the design using the gores, it is easy to design a pattern which falls within the area of one gore. However, at the time of designing a pattern which is spread over a plurality of gores, if any narrowing course or widening course passes through the pattern, the design becomes extremely difficult. An example of this case is shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, reference numerals 4 to 8 denote blocks, and a reference numeral 10 denotes a central line of the knitted fabric. In the upper part and the lower part of FIG. 1, the knitted fabric is divided into gores. In the central part of FIG. 1, a composite image 2 formed by combining the blocks 4 to 8 is shown. Now, definition of the gore is explained. The blocks 4, 6, and 8 with narrowing stitches 12 and left and right rectangular blocks 5, 7 without narrowing stitches on both sides are combined to form one gore. For example, the blocks 4, 5 are the leftmost gore in the knitted fabric. Though divided blocks of the gore is illustrated (displayed) in the upper part in FIG. 1, in accordance with practice, display of the gore itself may also be possible. A reference numeral 14 denotes a narrowing course.
At the time of inputting a pattern 16, i.e., at the time of drawing, data may be inputted conveniently on the composite image 2 in the middle stage in FIG. 1. It is extremely difficult to imagine how the pattern 16 is assigned to the individual gores, and input the pattern 16 in units of gores separately. After inputting the pattern 16, problems may occur at the time of assigning the pattern 16 to the individual gores. If the composite image 2 is divided, and the pattern 16 is assigned to the individual gores in accordance with the input position of the composite image 2, the pattern 16 is deformed as shown in the lower stage in FIG. 1. The two stitches or the four stitches in the lower stage in FIG. 1 is the number of non-uniform stitches above and below the narrowing course 14. By the number of stitches, i.e., by the number of non-uniform narrowing stitches above and below the narrowing course 14, the pattern 16 appears to be shifted toward the outside of the knitted fabric. Explanation regarding FIG. 1 is not known.